After the attempted uprising, China is reluctant to react. The Chinese Foreign Ministry reported on Sunday about a visit by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko to Beijing, but did not mention the dramatic events of the previous days in Russia, which had caused a stir internationally. In the past, China has avoided criticism of Russia and its attack on Ukraine and has always invoked the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
Foreign Ministers Qin Gang and Rudenko exchanged views on the relationship between the two countries on Sunday and discussed international and regional issues that affect both sides, the ministry said in a brief statement in Beijing. It remains unclear when Rudenko arrived in China and whether his visit was related to the rebellion of the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whom President Vladimir Putin had accused of an armed uprising that threatened the very existence of Russia.
“China will support Russia while emphasizing non-interference in its internal affairs,” Chinese military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping told Reuters. Prigozhin realized that the rebellion was not going anywhere. It is over, he said, with a view to the agreement announced by Russia, which provides for a withdrawal from the mercenary troops, Prigozhin’s exile in Belarus and impunity for the insurgents.